Maternity Macros – Jflo’s Pregnancy Transformation

Jen Floyd, aka J-flo, aka the Own Your Eating “Macro Mama”, has just given birth to her third baby and she had a GIRL!!! Finally she’s no longer completely outnumbered in her household. Born on September 16th, and weighing 8lb. 2 oz. Mom and baby girl Daphne Grace are both doing amazing! ? We are so thrilled for her and the Floyd household. Before J-flo finally popped, we asked her a few questions about her experience with tracking macros during her third pregnancy. Pregnancy can be tough on your body. Get the low down on why maternity macros and postpartum nutrition is healthy for you & your baby!

When did you first start Flexible Eating?

I started Flexible Eating in December of 2015, about a year after my second baby was born.

What prompted you to get started?

Jason came down to our CrossFit box, CrossFit 7 Mile Strength & Fitness, to do a seminar, and I thought the idea of being able to eat twizzlers and sour patch kids to get better in the gym was awesome and worth a try! I was also still trying to lose those last pesky 10 pounds of pregnancy weight that I could never take off from either of my pregnancies.

Tell us about these pictures, how much weight did you gain in each pregnancy and how do your pregnancies compare?

With both of my boys (my first two pregnancies) I gained somewhere between 50-60+ pounds. With my first in this photo, I remember the scale coming in at almost 200# (pre-pregnancy weight of 130) which was shocking to me! I was extremely bloated and uncomfortable for most of my pregnancy. I couldn’t even wear my wedding rings after the first trimester I was putting on weight so fast.

With this baby I’m sitting at 25 pounds weight gain in this photo (peaked at about 30# weight gain, but lost some weight, and probably some muscle towards the end). I did CrossFit through all three pregnancies, but this one has by far been the easiest in terms of the toll it’s had on my body and how I feel and get around on a daily basis.

I’ve had countless compliments on how great I look with this baby, which I never got with the other two, and people are shocked when they ask when the baby is due and I tell them I’m already past my due date!

What has been the biggest challenge with tracking during your pregnancy?

The first trimester was by far the hardest in terms of tracking. Between morning sickness, lack of appetite, and heartburn it was hard to be able to plan my days ahead of time or even get all my food in that I was supposed to eat. I found that while I still tried to track my food through these early weeks it was so much more important to be flexible with myself, and most of all forgiving. I tried to hit my numbers when I was feeling up to it, but if I just couldn’t make it, I didn’t beat myself up about it, and just started fresh the next day.

Would you recommend that other new moms, or moms-to-be track their food?

Absolutely! First of all, there’s so much conflicting and bad information out there; “you’re eating for two”, “indulge your cravings because it’s your body’s way of telling you what nutrients you’re missing”, “eat lots of healthy fat because it helps the baby develop”, etc. If you blindly follow all this advice, you risk packing on way more weight than necessary. If you’re tracking what you eat, you’re much more aware of whether you’re eating enough/too much, or if you’re just overindulging and using pregnancy as an excuse.

Second, (and probably more importantly), it’s hard work growing another human! Fueling your body AND your baby with the right amount of nutrients makes such a huge difference in the way you feel and how you’re able to not only progress through your pregnancy, but also preparing yourself for recovery afterwards! I’m going into having this baby, confident that I will feel healthy postpartum instead of exhausted from putting on too much extra weight. 

How should they get started?

Send me a message or sign up through Own Your Eating! I would love to help you achieve and maintain your optimal nutrition throughout your pregnancy and postpartum! 

You can find out more about J-Flo on the Our Team section of our website or see what she’s up to on instagram, @mamajflo. To find out more about our coaching services and packages check out the Lifestyle Membership section of our website. Our coaching is completely individualized meaning your own personal coach will be able to work with you and help you adapt your nutrition allowing you to gain healthy weight during your pregnancy. Feel free to contact us on contact@ownyoureating.com if you have more questions!